Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming

Release Dates

Released nearly two years after the franchise’s earlier attempt at a puzzle game, Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming took to the Nintendo DS and Apple iOS (and later Android mobile devices). Taking advantage of touchscreen devices, players were tasked to guide an abundance of crops into a chain as a Harvest Sprite marched through the field, looking to collect the Sunny Island crops. Harvested crops filled a skill bar that granted players a character-specific skill. Special skills utilized the farm-favorite animals of Harvest Moon’s rich catalog of games, including chickens, cows, and of course, a pet dog.

The game featured a wealth of playable modes, including a robust Story mode containing six characters, each with their own favorite vegetables and skills. Score Attack, Free Match, Mission and Tutorial modes added to the fun, as did the ability to play against friends using a single DS game cartridge. Mission mode slowed the gameplay down for a moment, in exchange for a challenging puzzle-like experience.